Gbain-sepakatok



ST ATS resaca.

CYRUS ROBERTS, OF BELLEVILLE, ILLINOIS.

GRAIN-SEPARATOR.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, CYRUs ROBERTS, of Belleville, in the county of St. Clair and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Separating and Cleaning Grain; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of my said invent-ion, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification, and in which- Figure l represents a view in perspective of my improved thresher, separator, and cleaner, Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof, and Fig. 3 is a transverse sect-ion of the same.

My invention is divided into several parts which may be `used separately or in connection. rIhe first of these consists of a set of adjustable tracks act-ing in connection with a jumping roller on which the separator trough rests, in such manner that the amount of longitudinal shake or vibration can be regulated as required to convey the st-raw faster or slower without varying the vert-ical shake or vibration.

The second part of my invention consists of a series of adjustable angular rails which are arranged in the separating trough in such manner that they Jfacilitate the descent of the grain and insure its separation from the stra-w, while they also prevent the latter from clogging or choking and at the same time can be adjusted to different angles of inclination to retard or to accelerate the passage of the straw and thus regulate the amount of shaking to which it is subjected before it is discharged from the machine.

The object of the third part of my invention is to relieve the winnowing or cleaning apparatus of a large portion of the work it is required to perform in machines hitherto constructed, and it consists in separating the cockle, chess, shrunken grain, sand, &c. from the plump grain before the lat-ter is delivered to the cleaning apparatus.

In the accompanying drawing A is the frame of the machine at the front extremity of which is the threshing cylinder B with its concave c. This thresher is provided with a feeding table C on which the sheaves of grain to be threshed and cleaned are received one at a time.

The separating trough N extends from the hinder side of the threshing apparatus to the hinder extremity of the main frame.

Its sides are fitted with two pairs of tracks K K which rest upon the peripheries of two jumping rollers D D, that are supported by similar pairs of tracks K', K2, on the frame of the machine. The pair of tracks, K, that support the front jumping roll are secured to plates T each of which has a. slot in it to admit a clamp screw on which the track plate can be slid to `vary the position of the track and thus vary the extent to which the trough can be moved longitudinally without varying its vertical movement or jump.

Adjustable tracks have not been represented in the drawing as applied to the hinder jumping roll, as the representations and description of the front ones are suliicient to enable a constructor to make any number without requiring a distinct representation of each one. A longitudinal vibratory movement is imparted to the separating trough by means of a crank U 'and pitman or connecting' rod E. The crank U is of the disk variety, it is secured to a shaft V, and is pierced at dierent distances from its axis of rotation with two or more holes t-o any one of which the crank pin can be applied, so that by shifting the pin from one hole to another the stroke of the pitman and of the separating trough with which it is connected can be increased or diminished.

The separating trough extends slightly beneath the threshing apparatus so as to receive the straw and grain directly from the latter. nearly its whole extent by a series of angular rails which may be formed either of sheet iron or wood. These rails, H, are secured by their front extremities to the lbottom of the elevating trough; their hinder extremities are supported on standards p, whose upper extremities bear in oblong sockets formed in the basis of the angular rails, and whose lower extremities pass through holes in the bottom of the trough and arex all made fast to a cross bar W beneath. The latter is suspended from the elevating trough by two bolts, P I), which pass through slots in the sides of the trough and are fitted at their upper extremities with adjusting nuts cc, by 'turning which the crossbar and its standards or pins, together with the hinder extremities of the whole series of angular rails which are supported by the pins, can be raised farther above the It is traversed throughout l bottom of the trough or can be lowered toward it. By this means the inclination of the rails can be varied as occasion may require. The bases of the angular rails even when lowered to their greatest extent are always clear of the bott-om of the trough, there being a shallow space left between the two, in which the grain is received as it falls from the straw and is moved along by the shake toward t-he hinder extremity of the trough.

The cleaning apparatus is situated beneath the hinder extremity of the separating trough, whose bottom at this point `is fitted with a coarse screen I that permits grain and such matters to pass through, but refuses the heads and short pieces of straw. The cleaner consists mainly of a shoe G, and fan F. The shoe is'suspended at the middle of itsforward cross bar y froina cross bar of the main frame. Its hinder extremity is suspended by suitable sway straps or links. It contains a screen CZ and lingers f, for subjecting the grain to the action of the blast generated by the fan, and it has a transverse vibratory movement imparted to it by the longitudinal vibrations of the separating trough. This movement is'transmitted from the latter to the former by means of a horizontal bent lever M which is pivoted at the intersection of its arms to one of the side boards of the cleaning apparatus. The longer arm of this lever extends beneath the separating trough and enters a slot formed in a bracket secured to the middle thereof, while the shorter arm of the lever is connected by a link with the shoe Gr.

The cleaning apparatus as above stated is situated at the hinder extremity of the main frame. It is preceded by an apparatus for separating the smaller heavy impurities with which grain is mingled before the grain is delivered to the cleaner. This apparatus consists of a fine screen S fitted int-o the bottom of the separating trough at a point intermediate between the wheat screen I and the threshing apparatus. The meshes of this screen are too fine to permit any good grain to pass through but are suiiiciently coarse to admit cockle, chess, sand, &c. Beneath this screen is a hopper R having an inclined bottom to receive the matters separated by the screen and to deliver them at the side of the machine.

The fan shaft L, cylinder shaft g, and crank shaft V are all connected by means of belts o, 0, and belt pulleys, so that when one is driven the other two are also caused to revolve. In general I prefer to drive the cylinder shaft by means of a driving belt that transmits motion from a horse-power or other convenient prime mover. As the has moved backward far enoughV for the jumping rolls to strike their inclined tracks, and falling again at the commenmement of its return forward. The extent of the longitudinal motion is regula-ted by the position of the crank pin and the adjustment of the tracks, while the upward movement is constant and is regulated by the inclination of the tracks on which the rollers run.

'Ihe grain delivered upon the feed table is fed into the thresher; thence is passed into the separating trough; as it moves over the rails H and is shaken by the rapid up and down movement or jump of the trough, the grain and analogous matters pass between the rails and fall upon the bottom of the trough while the straw remaining on the rails ismoved onward by the longitudinal movement of the trough and is finally discharged `at the hinder extremity of the machine. The time occupied by the straw in passing through the separator varies according as the rails are set by the movement of the cross bar W at a greater or less inclination. If in practice it be found that the grain is not thoroughly separated from the straw, the cross bar must be raised to increase the inclination of the rails and thus retard the onward movement of the straw. On the other hand if itv be found that the grain is thoroughly separated, the crossbar may be lowered with advantage to facilitate the onward movement of the straw until loss of grainA begins to ensue. angular form of rail greatly facilitates the action of the separator, for rails of this` size being too small to pass through the cockle screen, pass on to the wheat screen; here the wheat and other matters of about The The goodl wheat and the lighter particles of largerv the saine size pass through to the shoe be-k Y neath in which they are separated by the blast of the fan. The clean wheat beingdelivered by the inclined grated bottom of the shoe toward the fan case while the lighter matters are blown out at the hinder extremvity of the shoe. The heads and other bulky 3. I likewise claim the method herein described of relieving the winnowing apparatus of a portion of the work by separating, by means of a screen S arranged substantially as herein s'et forth, such impurities as will pass through it before the grain is delivered to the winnowing apparatus.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

CYRUS ROBERTS.

Witnesses:

E. I. RENWIOK, H. H. WATSON. 

